In the After
by Marauder Lupine
Summary: Forgiveness is offered and accepted in the After Life.


Remus, Sirius, and James and Lily stepped off of the train and onto Platform 9 ¾ .

"Albus isn't back yet, do you reckon everything's alright?" Sirius asked to no one in particular.  
"He said what he had to do would take time," Lily answered, taking hold of James' hand. He held it tightly.  
"Do you think we'll see him again?" James said after a while. "Harry, I mean."  
"Not for a long time, Jaime," Remus reassured him. He hoped that they wouldn't, at least.

The four of them took up a spot near a pillar and waited.

"Remus, Sirius, I want to thank you both for taking care of my son, when I couldn't," James announced.  
"It was our pleasure, James," Sirius said. "We promised you that we would."  
Remus nodded in agreemenet. "He's a good kid, James. You should be proud of him."  
"We are," Lily said, smiling sadly.

They waited quietly, for something to happen. Anything. They seemed to be waiting forever.

"No," Lily said suddenly, looking around frantically.  
"What is it," James asked. "Is it Harry?" Lily shook her head.

Before the others could even ask more, she had sprinted off into the crowds of people.

The three men looked at each other in confusion for a few moments, and then started after her. James, Sirius, and Remus all lost sight of her red hair rather quickly in the seemingly growing sea of people on the Platform.

**xxx**

Lily rushed passed a group of people gathered by a bench and then stopped in her tracks completely.

She watched the man sitting on the next bench over for a second before taking a few steps closer.

"Hello, Sev," she said quietly, hoping not to startle her old friend.

Severus Snape nearly jumped to his feet. After all this time, he could still remember her voice so clearly, like his own conscience.

He struggled with words to say; he'd recited entire speeches he would say to her, if only he could have the chance, but now after all this time, the million words he'd practiced were stuck in his throat.  
Lily smiled and said, "Come here, and give us a hug then." In an instant, Severus was hugging her, and she was holding him. He'd fight a thousand more wars, just to die and have this moment again.

"I didn't want to see you here, but after all you've done, after all this time, it's nice to see my old friend again."  
"I'm sorry," was all Severus could manage, the words muffled by the shoulder he was dampening with tears he didn't realize we're flowing freely.  
Lily rubbed small circles on his back trying to comfort him. "I'll have none of that, Severus Snape. You've braved so much to see that my son was safe all these years. Thank you so much, Sev."

**xxx**

"She must have come this way," Remus said, pointing ahead of him.

James started to say something, but something had caught Remus' attention and he stopped listening. He looked past James, at a group of kids standing near the Platform's edge.

"Now where are you going, Moony?" Sirius asked as he watched him walk away.

"Mr. Creevey? Ms. Brown?" Remus asked, wishing to Merlin that he was mistaken.  
"Mr. Lupin," the young boy said, walking towards him. A small, relieved smile on his face.

Remus' heart clenched. He was a tired old man, but these kids, his students, were so young. They didn't deserve to be here with him and his friends. They had all fought and died to save these children, but they'd failed those who stood before him now.

Little Colin, always so small, still looked like the little second year he taught Hogwarts. Unlike so many others where they were, he likely wasn't going to have his muggle family here to find and comfort him.

As he stopped in front of the young boy, he hugged him. And when he heard a quiet sniffle coming from Lavender Brown, and some of the other students, some of which he didn't even recognize, he reached out and pulled them all in together.

James and Sirius watched from where they had stopped following.

"Sometimes, I think it was easier to have left so long ago," James said to his friend. "Means I recognize less and less people here, and it's just easier, you know?"  
"I know, mate," Sirius said, clapping his shoulder.

**xxx**

"It was a mistake," Lily said to him. "Of course I was angry and upset, but I know now when you called me that name, it was just a mistake."

Severus' face was flushed. The mere thought was enough to embarrass him; he'd been such a fool. He didn't deserve her kindness.

"Maybe if I hadn't just stopped being your friend then, things would have been different."  
Severus shook his head, "No, don't say that. I'd have made all the same mistakes either way. I am what I am, and you couldn't have saved me."

**xxx**

"Pads, who's that over there? With Fabien and Gideon. Do you recognize him?" James asked.

Sirius turned to look and sighed when he saw the boy with red hair.

"One of the Weasley twins, not sure which," he said, turning back to James.  
"One of the boys who nicked the Map from Filch?" James asked in disbelief.  
Sirius nodded, "Molly must be a wreck."

Taking another quick glance at Remus, who was still doing his best to comfort his students, they headed off to see Fred Weasley.

**xxx**

"I left him memories, things that he will need to know in order to do what he must."  
"I know, Albus has explained everything to us. We know what has to happen, and what Dumbledore thinks will happen after that," Lily spoke with all the bravado she could muster.  
"And where is he?" Severus asked, afraid of the answer. Afraid of what else he had told Lily.  
"He had to stay a bit longer, but he'll be here soon. He promised."

Severus nodded.

"I know what he asked you to do, and I know why you had to do it. You saved that boy; Malfoy's son, wasn't he? It was an incredibly brave thing to do, Sev."  
"How can you say that to me, knowing that I'm the reason you are here?"  
"You-Know-Who knew of that prophecy. That's why he sent someone to follow Trelawny. We're lucky that it was you. He'd have found us eventually. You did everything you could to protect me."

Severus shook his head. Lily took his hands in hers.

"I didn't do enough," he said. "It's my fault you're here, Lily. You and Potter are here because of me; I sent the Dark Lord straight to you. I did so unknowingly, but it is no less my fault.

"I'm sorry. I don't know how else to express this to you. You were my friend, and I betrayed you numerous times, and spent so long blaming everyone but myself. I wasted so much time when I should have been trying to fix my mistakes. I am a coward."

"You sacrificed everything to repay a debt to man you despise, and spent half your life apologizing to a ghost. You gave your pride to offer your loyalty, and took the life of the one person who knew all these things, to give two boys a better chance. You did everything to make up for your mistakes.

"You are a good man, Severus Snape," Lily told him sternly.

**xxx**

"Gods, it seems like there are more and more people here," Remus said. "What's happening?"  
"And where has Lily gotten to?" James asked.  
"There!" Sirius shouted, looking out over groups of people. "Who's she with?"

The three men started over to Lily, passing reunited family and friends on their way.

"Probably an old bloke she used to fancy, eh James?" Sirius joked.  
James huffed, "Very funny, Siri." He knew his friend was joking, but still sped up his pace.

A few moments later, James stopped, allowing Sirius and Remus to catch up. He couldn't believe his eyes.

He felt Sirius stop beside him, and he asked, "Is that-"  
"Poor sodding bastard," Sirius said.

Remus pushed past his friends. It couldn't be him. It must be a mistake. Severus couldn't be here. He wasn't supposed to be here.

"Severus?" he said.

It couldn't be, he thought to himself. Remus was strong, and fast, and a better dueler than any Death Eater. Remus was a fighter; he'd fought his entire life. It was impossible to think he'd have lost now, when it counted most and wound up here.

Severus felt Lily's hands slip from his as he turned around.

Remus' heart broke to see the man standing there. He wasn't supposed to be here. It was the one benefit to his guise as a Death Eater, it meant that he'd have a better chance; he wouldn't end up like the rest of them.

Severus stared at Remus, who took a hesitant step forward. "You shouldn't be here," he said out loud this time. Quickly closing the space between them, not able to hold himself back any longer.

In just a few quick moments, Remus had his arms wrapped around him. They were both here, it didn't matter what anyone thought now. It should have never mattered before.

Holding him close, Remus could feel Severus' body tense. Severus, unsure of what to do, stood there stiffly.

Remus pulled away, but he couldn't bring himself to let go completely, lest the flesh beneath his fingers should disappear. He held onto Severus' shoulders, unwilling to let him slip away.

"I didn't think I would see you again," Severus said. "I had to leave before I could expla-"  
Remus nodded. "I know; it doesn't matter anymore anyway."  
"How?" Severus asked.  
"Dumbledore," Remus answered, as if that alone was enough of an answer. It usually was between, but he continued anyway.

"He warned me of something unbelievable occurring. And told me when it should happen, because it would undoubtedly happen, I should know it to be a lie.

"He said I could never let anyone know, it would be unsafe to say otherwise. It was imperative that I pretend to know nothing, I should know that things weren't what they seemed. That, despite everything that had happened between us, I should hold onto my faith in you."

Severus studied Remus intently. It had been so long since he had been this close to the other man. He wanted to reach out, but so many things had changed since they had last been this close. He'd committed such terrible crimes since then. And Remus, he'd married and had a child in the 18 months since then.

"It was difficult, I won't lie," Remus admitted. "Everything that night happened so quickly, it was a struggle to even catch my breath. And when Harry told us what had happened, when I saw him laying there, it was truly unbelievable."

Severus flinched, Remus wrapped his hand around the back of his neck, holding him there in front of him. Urging him not to turn away.

"And did you believe it?" Severus asked finally, unsure of what the answer might be.  
"At first," Remus said. "How could I not; Albus laid there in front of me. Harry had explained what he had seen, and you weren't there to tell me otherwise.

"But Harry shared his memories with us that night, to see for ourselves. And after I saw it, with my own eyes, what you had to do, I knew something wasn't right. It helped me to finally think straight. I was wrong to be angry with you. You and Albus had your reasons, and I had to keep my faith.

"Forgive me, Severus, for ever having doubted you. Please."

Severus took a shaky, shuddery breath. All the wrongs he'd done, all the mistakes he'd ever made, he could never forgive himself for, but if first Lily, and now Remus could forgive him, then he'd be selfish and accept their forgiveness.

He reached out, placing a hand on Remus shoulder, and when Remus didn't pull away, he pulled them both closer and held tightly.

* * *

I've been sitting on this story for a while, and finally decided to write it down. Be gentle.


End file.
